How NOT to travel with a baby.

Max and I have just arrived back from a weeks holiday in Greece.

Unfortunately, Max's Dad had to stay at home and earn the money to pay for said holiday. Poor thing.

What a lovely time we had, especially as my parents and my sister were able to make trip over from New Zealand - a bit of a reunion.

I had been waking up in a cold sweat for days before the trip. Travelling with a one year old is not without it's difficulties. When you are away from your comfort zone of home and you don't know what kind of food will be available or whether you will be able to buy nappies before you need them, it really stresses you out!

So what do you need to pack??? Mmmmmmm...

The big things first - buggy, car seat, travel cot.

A weeks worth of food (most of which will end up spat out and on the floor.)

Blow up rubber ring. (I had dreams of Max bobbing away for hours in the pool, but the pool must have been minus 25 degrees!)

36 regular nappies & 20 swimming nappies.

Drug section - Calpol, Calprofen, Teetha, Bonjela, ear thermometer etc.

Not to mention books, toys, clothes............

By the time I had finished Max's packing I was pushing the 25 kilo allowance to the limit!

Well, we made it to the villa in one piece. (Slightly poorer after paying excess baggage.)

To go into detail about our holiday would be cruel and make you all sick with jealously. So I will just say PERFECTION and leave it at that.

Anyway, all good things must come to an end. Once Max and his entourage were all packed we headed to the airport.

Here's where it gets gruesome......

Not only did the check in staff think Max was an abducted child, as he looked uncannily like one of the babies on the poster of missing children, and nothing like me. They also managed to seat us all separately on the plane. This may sound like a mere inconvenience BUT think about it....On the way there Max had happily sprawled himself across 3 people and managed to get a good hours sleep. Now he was being passed from row to row like a screaming hot potato. It really was like a game of hot potato, the loser being the person who was stuck holding him when the seat belt sign was switched on due to turbulence! Torture!

I can tell you, I almost kissed the ground when we landed.

On reflection, would I do it all again?

Yes please!

Buggies, Bottles, Baby Bjorns & Bumbos

Buying baby kit can be a minefield.

As a newly married couple our Saturday afternoon shopping trips to the Kings Road consisted of buying trainers, ski gear and Benefit make up. We would avoid Level 3 of Peter Jones (baby department!) like the plague.

As my pregnancy progressed and I began to research what we would need for the baby, my eyes were opened to a whole new world of shopping!

I must admit to being a little overwhelmed to begin with. Cot? Cotbed? Moses basket? Bugaboo? Quinny? Mountain buggy? Aaarrgghhhh! 

At the end of the day you need to buy the products that work best with your lifestyle, think practically. There is no point buying a gorgeous Silver Cross pram if it won't fit through your front door!

The following are the key products I initially purchased:

Bugaboo Chameleon (We bought this buggy due to the fact that it is compact and robust. It folds down so you can put it in the boot and you can use the Maxicosi carseat on the frame.)

Maclaren Quest Pushchair (I love this product! So portable and light, great for travelling.)

Maxicosi Carseat

Infant Seat (Essential, for babies 0 - 6 months.)

Moses Basket (Max hated the moses basket! Used it maybe twice.)

Cotbed (We started off with Max in a Cot but he outgrew it so quickly.)

Baby Bjorn (I loved the idea of using the Baby Bjorn, but Max was such a heavy baby and it was often a relief to put him down!)

Merino Kids Go-go Bags (Initially i swaddled Max, but from about 8 weeks I started sleeping him in the Go-go bag and he has never looked back. Brilliant product.)

Avent Bottles/Pump 

Cath Kidston Nappy Bag (Okay so I bought the floral one! Sorry Max!)

Other products I have bought along the way - The Good, The Bad & The Ugly!

Stokke Highchair (Beautifully designed piece of kit that encourages your baby to eat at the family dinner table. Love it!)

Bumbo Seat (Weird looking molded rubber seat which enables babies who can't sit up by themselves to do just that. Max would try to escape if I put him in it!)

Jolly Jumper (Looks like a torture contraption. Max would last a few minutes in it before trying to wriggle his way out.)

Baby Gym (Fun and stimulating for the 0 - 6 month baby.)

These days I buy most of my baby kit online. 

Some of my favourites are Kiddicare, Mini Boden, Oh Baby London, Cath Kidston, JoJo Maman Bebe & John Lewis.

First Step - Leaving Hospital....

After three days in the packed post-natal wards of charming Chelsea West Hospital, a girl starts pining for the comforts of home, (and a little privacy would be nice!) 

I was already persona non grata for accidentally flooding the ward with my 45 minute shower. How was I to know the knocking on the door was someone trying to tell me a river was flowing out under the bathroom door? This shower was well deserved and I was not about to cut it short.

With Max's health checks completed, all that was left between me and home was one last consultation with the Head Midwife.

What is it about Health Care Professionals and poo? My sister and my best friend are both nurses and I can tell you, there is a lot of poo talk.

Needless to say, the Head Midwife was not happy to learn that there had not been any 'movements' in that department since before I went into labour - 5 days!

No good, I would have to stay in hospital until I had done 'the business'.

The thought of another night away from my husband and my home was too much.

I needed a result and I needed it fast! It was already approaching 9pm. I only had another 30 minutes until visiting hours were over and I would be stuck here for another night.

Enlisting the help of a bottle of laxative I headed off to the bathroom. It is a tricky thing trying to 'go' when your tummy muscles have been ripped apart (C-section) and you are sharing one toilet with a whole ward of new mums plus all their visitors and they are knocking on the door. It's enough to give anyone stagefright. 

In the end I got the result I needed and we escaped CW with minutes to spare. As I limped to the waiting car I felt a rush of excitement and terror. Our new life was about to begin. Or maybe it was the laxative kicking in........

Welcome To The World Little Darlin'......

Max McColl Cardiff

Born in Chelsea Westminister Hospital

02/09/08

3.85 kg

Emergency C-section

Proud parents Richard & Jo.

Slightly traumatised by 3 days of labour, failed epidurals and the fact that this is IT. 

We are now responsible for this little fellow, forever. What a privilege. How terrifying!